I suppose that's why I have been opted out of everything, since I signed up for AOL 2+ years ago (made damn sure of it) and yet got a telephone call from AOL trying to sell me AOL Broadband.
When I rang up and complained, they tried to make out it was my fault, and that I should check my opt-out settings, which were as I'd set them (NO on everything.)
For all I know, they're doing this to every AOL subscriber here in the UK.
" You should check out Grand Theft Auto 3. You can walk down the street and beat a regular person to a bloody pulp, and nothing happens. But once you beat up a cop, your 'wanted level' rises, all hell breaks loose and they're on your ass."
This is where Vice City is so much of an improvement over GTA3.
In Vice City, you can help a police officer beating a citizen to death, claim a $50 "Good Citizen" reward, for your assistance, and then snaffle the dead perp's cash, while they lie bleeding on the sidewalk.
This is the sort of lesson we need to teach our children, instead of evil cop-killing.
With this Washington Law, our children will grow up to be violent only to those not in authority, which is the way God intended.
Maybe it's just a cynically evil attempt to legitimise SCO's claim (that their patent is valid and not dissolved by it's release under an open-source license) and so do harm to IBM's case, and thence to Linux?
"You're fighting two camps here, the luddite camp that wants to fight genetically engineered foods, and the IP people, who want to fight logic."
I think that's a gross oversimplification: the idea that because you're against a particular technology, because of it's inherent (or claimed inherent) dangers, you're a "luddite."
What if I think computers are really cool, and solar technology is top stuff, but that GMOs, are satan's* plan for food ownership, and a real threat to life on this planet as we know it (seriously?)
* metaphor for greedy, posessive and power-crazed, corporations and those who run them.
This is the death of rental stores, like Blockbuster (and more unhappily, small, local rental stores.)
Now any shop, supermarket or garage, can get into the rental business.
Let me guess, the MPAA, or whoever doesn't mind technological advances that put other people out of business, but when it's them... well, the sky is falling.
From the last section of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, by Greg Palast:
The Russians voted a resolution demanding that American presidential elections, like Haiti's and Rwanda's, should be held under the auspices of the United Nations.
Seems reasonable once you've read the book, seen the result and witnessed it's consequences.
If anyone argues this, we lose in a bigger way. MS can then say "see, I told you so! GPL caused SCO to lose their IP!!!!".
If anyone buys this blatant dissembling (assuming MS, would actually try it,) just tell the person so afflicted by the deciet that the sun might not come up tomorrow, and they'll probably sell you all their IP for a tenner, quicker than you can say *cough* bullshit *cough*.
"A "copy protected" disc is not a CD, even if it's (misleadingly) sold as one."
I agree. If people complained to their local trading standards body, we could force the record stored to sell these defective CDs in seperate sections, and label them as a new format (which they are, of course.)
" Return the defective CD under his country's consumer rights law. If enough people do this, then the companies might rethink the whole idea."
Better yet, sue!
Take the record store to the small claims court, and sue for fraud, and hassle, and costs, and anything else you can think up.
Also/or: lodge a formal complaint to a trades standards body (in the UK it's the Office of Fair Trading.)
Tell them how you bought a CD from the CD rack of the store, but it's not a CD (it doesn't work with your Red Book/Orange Book, whatever, legitimately branded CD player.)
If you bought the CD from a store and were forced to return it, ask them for your transportation costs, if they refuse, keep the CD, and sue in the small claims court, in the UK (IANAL) if an item is faulty, you are entitled to compensation for 6 years from the date of purchase, to cover costs of repairs of the faults and incurred costs.)
Consider talking to a Citizen's Advice Bureau, or equivalent ofering free legal/consumer/citizen advice, rather than taking your advice only from/.
" I've backed up my home directory, all my software devlopment stuff..and docs...totaling about 650 megs after bzip...i gpg it with a 4096 bit key...then name it blade2.dvd.rip.avi and share it on kazza.."
So you're the bastard responsible! I spent 7 days downloading that on dial-up!
It shouldn't be difficult for a software solution to fake files. Even I can spot them before they get too far into the download. On my piffling dial-up connection, all the legit files are on average 2 to 4Kbps, whereas all the fake files download at 7 to 15Kbps (which is inconceivable for a regular file download, and only usual when downloading a web page.)
The court could construe that by advertising a copyrighted work on a P2P network, that in itself is illegal, and therefore, whoever recieves that file would not be able to claim that they were defrauded by getting a fake file. While it's a nice conflict of law here, I don't think it will fly.
However, from the article:
Moreover, there is nothing in the FTC Act that says "deceptive trade practices" are permitted if done for a good reason, or against people we don't like.
Imagine if a person was in midtown Manhattan selling what you assumed were pirated DVD's -- say X-Men 2. You plunk down your $5 (such a deal) and voila! -- a blank CD-ROM.
The seller would be liable for fraud or deception -- even though you thought you were purchasing a pirated disc.
"I'm not going to be the one who simultaneously antagonises the RIAA and admits in court that I tried to pirate music.
No, and let's face it, neither is anyone else. What this could be used for, however, is as a countersuit by someone who's already being sued by the RIAA, and who's trying to fight them... maybe.
I don't get all this rap isn't a legitimate form of music, stuff. Collage is a legitimate form of art (see : Picasso.) Rap is (in part) a musical form of collage.
Of course, with the massive corporatisation of our culture, restrictions on artistic expression (collage is a legitimate form of art) is ubiquitous.
What you do, if the caller is real, anyway, is say, "Just a sec'... I'm just going to get a pen..." put the phone down (without hanging up) and... well... go back to watching the tv/scratching your balls or whatever.
Then again, maybe they just all have the same attitude of mind as Donald Rumsfeld, and want to "kick ass" (as you Americans quaintly call it.) Considering the way they squealed and cried, every time some form of technology has come along in the past, which they percieved as threatening their position, this behaviour seems right in keeping with their attitude, to me.
They're spoilt, arrogant little kids, who don't realise their true position in the world.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, as long as their customers don't follow-through, everything should be all right.
'Cause that just sounds plain wrong.
As far as I'm concerned, data = sheep.
New at GAP, RFID reader-proof purses, handbags, wallets, trouser pockets...
I suppose that's why I have been opted out of everything, since I signed up for AOL 2+ years ago (made damn sure of it) and yet got a telephone call from AOL trying to sell me AOL Broadband.
When I rang up and complained, they tried to make out it was my fault, and that I should check my opt-out settings, which were as I'd set them (NO on everything.)
For all I know, they're doing this to every AOL subscriber here in the UK.
What's wrong with a mini-CD-R, or CD-RW?
Smaller than a floppy; cheaper, and more disposable than a USB drive.
Stick it in your top pocket.
"This is the FBI, if you've copied this video, you're a very naughty boy, and Agent Samantha is going to have to spank you..."
This is where Vice City is so much of an improvement over GTA3.
In Vice City, you can help a police officer beating a citizen to death, claim a $50 "Good Citizen" reward, for your assistance, and then snaffle the dead perp's cash, while they lie bleeding on the sidewalk.
This is the sort of lesson we need to teach our children, instead of evil cop-killing.
With this Washington Law, our children will grow up to be violent only to those not in authority, which is the way God intended.
Maybe it's just a cynically evil attempt to legitimise SCO's claim (that their patent is valid and not dissolved by it's release under an open-source license) and so do harm to IBM's case, and thence to Linux?
Alternatively (or perhaps additionally):
lack of power in real-life...
I think that's a gross oversimplification: the idea that because you're against a particular technology, because of it's inherent (or claimed inherent) dangers, you're a "luddite."
What if I think computers are really cool, and solar technology is top stuff, but that GMOs, are satan's* plan for food ownership, and a real threat to life on this planet as we know it (seriously?)
* metaphor for greedy, posessive and power-crazed, corporations and those who run them.
Yeah, and so were the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.
Now any shop, supermarket or garage, can get into the rental business.
Let me guess, the MPAA, or whoever doesn't mind technological advances that put other people out of business, but when it's them... well, the sky is falling.
I don't see anyone whining about it not being free. Just up for some free stuff, as opposed to paying for it. How crazy is that?
Maybe you've just been taught to be a good consumer too well? Fruit grows on trees, and is ostensibly free. Hurrah to free (you miserable git!) :)
Seems reasonable once you've read the book, seen the result and witnessed it's consequences.
If anyone buys this blatant dissembling (assuming MS, would actually try it,) just tell the person so afflicted by the deciet that the sun might not come up tomorrow, and they'll probably sell you all their IP for a tenner, quicker than you can say *cough* bullshit *cough*.
I agree. If people complained to their local trading standards body, we could force the record stored to sell these defective CDs in seperate sections, and label them as a new format (which they are, of course.)
Better yet, sue!
Take the record store to the small claims court, and sue for fraud, and hassle, and costs, and anything else you can think up.
Also/or: lodge a formal complaint to a trades standards body (in the UK it's the Office of Fair Trading.)
Tell them how you bought a CD from the CD rack of the store, but it's not a CD (it doesn't work with your Red Book/Orange Book, whatever, legitimately branded CD player.)
If you bought the CD from a store and were forced to return it, ask them for your transportation costs, if they refuse, keep the CD, and sue in the small claims court, in the UK (IANAL) if an item is faulty, you are entitled to compensation for 6 years from the date of purchase, to cover costs of repairs of the faults and incurred costs.)
Consider talking to a Citizen's Advice Bureau, or equivalent ofering free legal/consumer/citizen advice, rather than taking your advice only from /.
Stick it to them.
So you're the bastard responsible! I spent 7 days downloading that on dial-up!
On my piffling dial-up connection, all the legit files are on average 2 to 4Kbps, whereas all the fake files download at 7 to 15Kbps (which is inconceivable for a regular file download, and only usual when downloading a web page.)
That makes them pretty identifiable.
However, from the article:
No, and let's face it, neither is anyone else. What this could be used for, however, is as a countersuit by someone who's already being sued by the RIAA, and who's trying to fight them... maybe.
Collage is a legitimate form of art (see : Picasso.) Rap is (in part) a musical form of collage.
Of course, with the massive corporatisation of our culture, restrictions on artistic expression (collage is a legitimate form of art) is ubiquitous.
Pffft.
Yeah, I've seen those plans.
8 pints seems a bit much to me.
What you do, if the caller is real, anyway, is say, "Just a sec'... I'm just going to get a pen..." put the phone down (without hanging up) and... well... go back to watching the tv/scratching your balls or whatever.
>:o)
They're spoilt, arrogant little kids, who don't realise their true position in the world.
Possibly.